Color Value

Color value refers to how light or dark a fabric is on a scale from white to black, regardless of its color. Value contrast is what makes a quilt design visible — without it, even the most carefully pieced block will 'read' as a blob. The classic test for value is to photograph fabrics in black and white or to squint at them: fabrics that look similar in value will merge; fabrics with strong value contrast will remain distinct. Many quilters struggle with value because they respond to color (hue) rather than lightness.